Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-r6qrq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-27T03:48:45.008Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Development of farmed fish: a nutritionally necessary alternative to meat

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2011

J. R. Sargent  and
A. G. J. Tacon
J. R. Sargent*
Affiliation:
Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
A. G. J. Tacon
Affiliation:
Fisheries Department, Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, Italy
*
*Corresponding author: Professor J. R. Sargent, fax +44 (0)1786 472133. email jrss1@stir.ac.uk
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The projected stagnation in the catch from global fisheries and the continuing expansion of aquaculture is considered against the background that fishmeal and fish oil are major feed stocks for farmed salmon and trout, and also for marine fish. The dietary requirement of these farmed fish for high-quality protein, rich in essential amino acids, can be met by sources other than fishmeal. However, the highly-polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) present in high concentrations in fish oil are essential dietary constituents for marine fish and highly-desirable dietary constituents for salmonids. Currently, there is no feasible alternative source to fish oil for these nutrients in fish feeds. Vegetable oils rich in linoleic acid (18:2n-6) can partially substitute for 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 in salmonid and marinefish feeds. However, this is nutritionally undesirable for human nutrition because the healthpromoting effects of fish-derived 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 reflect a very high intake of 18:2n-6 relative to linolenic acid (18:3n-3) in Western diets. If partial replacement of fish oils in fish feeds with vegetable oils becomes necessary in future, it is argued that 18:3n-3-rich oils, such as linseed oil, are the oils of choice because they are much more acceptable lrom a human nutritional perspective, especially given the innate ability of freshwater fish, including salmonids, to convert dietary 18:3n-3 to 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3. In the meantime, a more judicious use of increasinglyexpensive fish oil in aquaculture is recommended. High priorities in the future development of aquaculture are considered to be genetic improvement of farmed fish stocks with enhanced abilities to convert C18 to C20 and C22n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, enhanced development of primary production of 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 by single-cell marine organisms, and continuing development of new species.

Keywords

Polyunsaturated fatty acidsEicosapentaenoic acidDocosahexaenoic acidFishmealFish oil
Type
Animal Nutrition and Metabolism Group Symposium on ‘Improving meat production for future needs’
Information
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society , Volume 58 , Issue 2 , May 1999 , pp. 377 - 383
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1999

References

Barlow, SM & Pike, IH (1994) Upgrading the uses of lower species to provide a source of omega-3 fatty acids in the human diet, Omega-3 News IX, 5–8.Google Scholar
Bell, JG, Dick, JR, McVicar, AH, Sargent, JR & Thompson, KD (1993) Dietary sunflower, linseed and fish oils affect phospholipid fatty acid composition, development of cardiac lesions, phospholipase activity and eicosanoid production in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids 49, 665–673.Google Scholar
Bell, JG, McEvoy, J, Webster, JL, McGhee, F, Millar, RM & Sargent, JR (1998) Flesh lipid and carotenoid composition of Scottish famed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 46, 119–127.Google Scholar
British Nutrition Foundation (1993) Nutritional Aspects of Fish. British Nutrition Foundation Briefing Paper no. 10. London: British Nutrition Foundation.Google Scholar
British Nutrition Foundation Task Force (1992) Unsaturated Fatty Acids. Nutritional and Physiological Significance. The Report of the British Nutrition Foundation Task Force. London: Chapman & Hall.Google Scholar
Carlson, SE, Werkman, SH, Rhodes, PG & Tolley, EA (1993) Visual-acuity development in healthy preterm infants: effect of marine-oil supplementation. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 58, 35–42.Google Scholar
Department of Health (1994) Nutritional Aspects of Cardiovascular Disease. Report on Health and Social Subjects no. 46. London: H.M. Stationery Office.Google Scholar
De Silva, SS & Anderson, TA (1995) Fish Nutrition in Aquaculture. London: Chapman & Hall.Google Scholar
Hempel, E (1993) Constraints and possibilities for developing aquaculture. Aquaculture International 1, 2–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
International Fishmeal and Oil Manufacturers Association (1996) A Report from the International Fishmeal and Oil Manufacturers Association. Salmon News no. 4–5, pp. 3–5. Northleach, Glos.: International Salmon Farmers' Association.Google Scholar
International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (1994 a) Health message statement. International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids News Letter 1, 3–4.Google Scholar
International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (1994 b) Recommendations for the essential fatty acid requirements for infant formulae. International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids News Letter 1, 4–5.Google Scholar
James, DG (1994) Fish as food: present utilization and future prospects. Omega-3 News 1X, 1–4.Google Scholar
Lands, WEM, Libett, B, Morris, A, Kramer, NC, Prewitt, TE, Bower, P, Schneisser, D, Davidson, MH & Burns, JH (1992) Maintenance of lower proportions of (n-6) eicosanoid precursors in phospholipids of human plasma in response to added dietary (n-3) fatty acids. Biochimica et Biophysics Acta 1180, 147–162.Google Scholar
Okuyama, H, Kobayashi, T & Watanabe, S (1997) Dietary fatty acids – the n-6/n-3 balance and chronic elderly diseases. Excess linoleic acid and relative n-3 deficiency syndrome seen in Japan. Progress in Lipid Research 35, 409–457.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Mara, CJ (1998) U.S. oil seed industry looks at trade issues. Inform vol. 9, pp. 132–136. Champaign, IL: American Oil Chemists Society Press.Google Scholar
Peet, M (1997) Schizophrenia and omega-3 fatty acids. International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids News Letter 4, 2–5.Google Scholar
Sargent, JR, Bell, JG, Bell, MV, Henderson, RJ & Tocher, DJ (1993) The metabolism of phospholipids and polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish. In Coastal and Estuarine Studies, vol. 43, Aquaculture: Fundamental and Applied Research, pp. 103–124 [Lahlou, B and Vitiello, P, editors]. Washington, DC: American Geophysical Union.Google Scholar
Sagent, JR, Bell, JG, Bell, MV, Henderson, RJ & Tocher, DR (1995) Requirement criteria for essential fatty acids. Symposium of European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 11, 183–198.Google Scholar
Sargent, JR & Henderson, RJ (1995) Marine (n-3)polyunsaturated fatty acids. In Developments in Oils and Fats, pp. 32–65 [Hamilton, RJ, editor]. London: Blackie Academic and Professional.Google Scholar
Sargent, JR, McEvoy, L, Estevez, A, Bell, JG, Bell, MV, Henderson, RJ & Tocher, DR (1999) Lipid nutrition of marine fish during early development: current status and future directions. Proceedings of the VIIIth International Symposium on Nutrition and Feeding of Fish. Recent Advances on Finfish and Crustacean Nutrition, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 1–4 June 1998, Aquaculture (In the Press).Google Scholar
Sikorski, ZE, Kolakowska, A & Pan, BS (1990) The nutritional composition of the major groups of marine organisms. In Seafood: Resources, Nutritional Composition and Preservation, pp. 30–54 [Sikorski, ZE, editor]. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.Google Scholar
Tacon, AGK (1999) Aquaculture production and nutrient supply: a global perspective. Proceedings of the VIIIth International Symposium on Nutrition and Feeding of Fish. Recent Advances on Finfish and Crustacean Nutrition, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 1–4 June 1998. Aquaculture (In the Press).Google Scholar
Uauy, R, Hoffman, DR, Birch, EE, Birch, DG, Kamseon, DM & Tyson, J (1994) Safety and efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids in the nutrition of very low birth weight infants: soy oil and marine oil supplementation of formula. Journal of Pediatrics 124, 612–620.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Watanabe, T & Cho, CY (1999) Development of fish feed: challenges and strategies for the 21st century. Proceedings of the VIIIth International Symposium on Nutrition and Feeding of Fish. Recent Advances on Finfish and Crustacean Nutrition, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 1–4 June 1998. Aquaculture (In the Press).Google Scholar
Wilson, RP (1989) Amino acids and proteins. In Fish Nutrition, 2nd ed., pp. 111–151 [Halver, J, editor]. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar